KDCCP stands for Kiwanis Doernbecher Children's Cancer Program. Their board of directors is made up of members from Kiwanis clubs in Oregon and southern Washington. I am pleased to say that I have been a member of this board since 2000.

Kiwanis involvement with Doernbecher started in the late 1980's. They raised money for various children's hospital projects, including an ambulance transport system designed just for children.  Early on, a group of Kiwanians saw a need for a bone marrow transplant facility at the hospital. They raised money, lobbied for political support, and in 1990 started the Kiwanis Bone Marrow Transplant Unit. In 1998 they broadened their mission and became Kiwanis Doernbecher Children's Cancer Program. KDCCP is a 501(c) 3 org., and all donations are tax deductible. Each year, KDCCP invites the best and brightest young physicians to participate in an intensive three-year program to become pediatric oncology specialists. The hospital calls this their "Kiwanis Fellowship program."
KDCCP is there to raise funds to fight Cancer and to help Doernbecher Children's Hospital.
Board members and other Kiwanians sell Christmas Ornaments, hold golf tournaments, sponsor bicycle rides, do a gazebo raffle and best of all, raffle off a new car. The car is KDCCP's biggest fundraiser. They first started raffling used and donated vehicles in the mid 1990's. For a number of years the Kiwanis group purchased rebuilt Classic Mustangs. In 2005 they purchased a red 1965 Convertible. Everyone thought this car was by far the best ever offered.

Bob Collison is a long term KDCCP Board member and he knows cars. He probably has more influence than anyone else in selecting KDCCP's raffle car. He was very pleased with the Red Mustang.
"Everyone loved the look of that car," said Bob. "We loved it until one evening on our way back from a show in Clatskanie, the steering went out. We were able to stop the car and move it off the road. Fortunately no one was hurt and nothing was damaged, but it gave us a scare. We decided that KDCCP would be better off offering new cars with a warrantee, than 40 year old Classics."
Each year now KDCCP purchases a new vehicle to raffle off for Doernbecher;  all the money goes to the hospital's Hematology/Oncology program.
This year's vehicle is a 2011 Mustang. It is a MCA (Mustang Club of America) limited edition. "There won't be many of this model available," said Bob, "It's unique in both design and style." 
The Mustang has Fords new 3.7-liter V6 engine. According to US News Rankings and Reviews:
"…this engine is lighter and more agile than any of its muscle car competitors.  Ford has the most powerful V6 of any 2011 American Car and the auto press ranks the 2011 Mustang as number one."
According to Newsweek:
"The 2011 Mustang may look like last year's model, but under the hood it's all new and far better.  In fact many critics assert that its recent performance upgrades including a 305-horsepower V6 engine, crown it king of American Muscle Cars."
Bob wasn't happy with the car just being a "Limited Edition."  He had to further "Trick it out."
The vehicle that he chose was given a custom metallic silver paint job. Bob grinned: "There's real silver dust ground up in that paint."

Bob talked Stripe Line of Oregon into donating custom racing stripes. He's a perfectionist and went through three different colors and combinations until he got the effect that he wanted with a metallic blue and black. He then talked Del Colton, of Colton Street Rods into doing some further modifications to the car. Over the years Bob has developed a relationship with various custom outfitters and was pleased to have Millar's Tire Factory of Canby outfit the car with top of the line 18-inch custom wheels and tires.

"How much are those wheels worth?" I asked.

Bob smiled and shook his head "Oh probably a little over three grand."

Bob then added. "You do know that this car has all leather upholstery, a top of the line sound system, and a six speed automatic power shift transmission with overdrive. The overdrive enables our car to get up to 31 MPG on the highway."

KDCCP has a booth at the Oregon State Fair. On Labor Day, they get an outpatient from Doernbecher to draw the winning raffle ticket.

The winner of our 2010 raffle was Bill E. Thompson of Salem. Bill had to "Render on to Caesar." Before taking possession of the car, IRS wanted their cut. Bill had to pay "Caesar" $6000.

You might want to visit the KDCCP website: http://www.kdccp.org/mustang.html
On the website there is a reminder:
Because you bought a raffle ticket, we are now able to use that money to help train the next generation of Children's cancer doctors. They will each treat thousands of children during their careers. They will spend thousands of hours in their labs, searching for the causes and cures for cancer, all because you bought a ticket.
More than 360,000 times last year, children from all over Oregon and Southern Washington knocked on the doors of Doernbecher Children's Hospital. They came to Doernbecher; because they couldn't get the treatment they needed anywhere else….

As of this year KDCCP has raised a total of over two and a half million dollars for the Hospital.

Dr. H. Stacy Nicholson, Physician-In-Chief, Doernbecher Children's Hospital wrote:
"Whenever we contribute to the cure of a child with cancer, Kiwanians are part of it."                                                                           

It doesn't take Dr. Nicholson to tell me this; I know that because of Doernbecher, there are children in our communities that will someday live to be adults. I am pleased to be part of KDCCP, and I am pleased to help